1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and, more particularly, to a system and method for wireless communications system mobile station to determine distance and direction with respect to another telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, position can be determined with little user involvement. Likewise, from a change in position (at least two locations), absolute direction can be determined. Mobile stations, or mobile telephones have been adapted to interface with a GPS module, such that the distance and direction to targets with known coordinates can be calculated. Alternately, an interfacing GPS receiver allows the mobile station to report its position to another entity, so that the entity can determine its distance and direction from that mobile station.
In some situations it would be desirable to determine the position of a second phone as a target location for the mobile station. It would be possible to create software and a calculating device that would permit the mobile station to enter a second phone's location as a target location, and then track its location with respect to the target location. However, the second telephone position data it can only be processed through user intervention. That is, the user of the second “target” telephone must call the mobile station (or the mobile station must call the second telephone) to communicate its location to the requesting mobile station. Then, the mobile station must enter this location into a calculating device that can calculate distance and relative direction to the target location. A small (handheld) display could be connected to the calculating device to indicate the results. Alternately, a mobile station could be equipped with sufficient processing power, memory, and display to calculate and present the distance calculations.
It would be advantageous if a system could be devised to automatically permit a mobile station to track its position with respect to a second telephone.
It would be advantageous if a mobile station could automatically track its position with respect to a second telephone without a voice connection in a traffic channel to communicate the position information.
It would be advantageous if a mobile station could calculate its proximity to a landline telephone with a fixed location, so as locate stores, restaurants, commercial establishments, and residences.